Effective means of powering vehicles for reasonable distances between refuelings has necessitated very high energy density fuel sources. The comparatively low efficiencies of internal combustion engines added to the need for the comparatively high energy density fossil fuels we use today. Fuel cells are a means of improving fuel to energy conversion efficiency, but are costly and complicated to use with these conventional vehicle fuels. Use of hydrogen or methane gas simplifies the fuel cell, but adds significant safety issues, storage difficulties, as well as reduced energy densities. Numerous other technologies are also under development to improve the various issues of cost, pollution, carbon footprint, safety, driving range, infrastructure impact, sustainability, toxicity, global component and resource acquisition socio-political complications, and overall performance.
The cost per driving mile of electricity is considerably less than gasoline. For example, in 2015, the more current technology electric vehicles (EV) get about 6 miles per kWh. The average cost of electricity in the U.S. is about 12 cents per kWh, resulting in a cost per mile for EV's to be about 1.99 cents. The current technology hybrid cars typically get about 45 MPG. At the typical gasoline cost of $2.42/gallon [March 2015], the average hybrid costs about 5.3 cents per mile when running on the gasoline engine. When running on an externally charged battery, their cost is at 1.99 cents/mile. If they average equal miles on gasoline and externally charged battery, the hybrid typically cost about 3.6 cents/mile. Thus the better hybrid cars compared to the typical EV cars cost about twice as much per mile to fuel. The average gasoline vehicle typically about 2.9 times as much to operate versus current EVs. Supercapacitor vehicles (SCV's) are relatively simple in design, have fuel storage means (supercap's) that last many times longer and cost considerably less than any current battery technology, as well as any fuel cell or internal combustion engine technology. The present supercapacitor invention is good for the typical life of the vehicle, and can be removed for use in other vehicles. Maintenance is expected to be far less frequent and much lower cost, as well, compared to current EV batteries. This is due to supercapacitors only moving electrons [charge] around versus chemical batteries like lithium-ion that move molecules that are millions of time bigger in diameter than electrons and have to slowly slog their way through a sea of other molecules causing battery deterioration over time, unlike tiny, speedy electrons.
Battery technologies have improved greatly in recent years, with Li-ion leading the pack. Yet even Li-ion batteries are much lower energy density, much more costly, have far shorter lifespans, have safety issues such as chemical malfunction explosion potential, much shorter driving ranges, are much heavier, and take magnitudes longer times to recharge than these NSB's. Fuel cells are much more costly, more complicated, and continue to either use mostly conventional fossil fuels or less safe hydrogen, which requires a much more significant infrastructure changeover than the NSB supercapacitor.
The current invention addresses these issues, resulting in a simple, low cost, extremely high energy density, low maintenance, safe, low operating cost, and efficient solution allowing very long travel range and fast recharges with high power delivery for vehicle applications. Additionally, high energy capture rates for very long storage periods with simple energy conversion to useable power for alternative energy systems, as well as grid power cost reduction for off peak storage with practically no power loss during grid downtimes for grid applications. Also, when storage capacity is maximized out, the additional generated power can be sold to the grid.